


attack of the feelings!

by gothyringwald



Series: harringrove holidays [9]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Established Relationship, Fluff, Future Fic, Gay Bar, Halloween, Homophobic Language, Jealousy, Light Angst, M/M, Misunderstandings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-22
Updated: 2020-10-22
Packaged: 2021-03-08 18:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,901
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27141382
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothyringwald/pseuds/gothyringwald
Summary: Steve and Billy go to a Halloween party at a gay bar, and make some new friends.
Relationships: Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington
Series: harringrove holidays [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1222670
Comments: 25
Kudos: 127





	attack of the feelings!

**Author's Note:**

> Why, yes, ’tis another Billy and Steve go to a gay bar fic XD (I guess I’ve only written one, though, two if you include a chapter of a multi…) Kind of for my ‘trick or treat’ prompt on my own [13 Days of Halloween prompt list](https://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/post/629740410007404545/i-mentioned-i-was-making-a-halloween-prompt-list) (more about that at the end)
> 
> Also, there is only one instance of homophobic language being used, but it’s being used by a gay men referring to himself in a non derogatory way i.e. reclaimed, I guess? But I added a tag, anyway, because I didn’t want it sprung on anyone not expecting it!

Steve has never felt more like a small town boy in the big city than he does right now.

Coloured lights sweep across the crowd packed shoulder to shoulder, and pulsating disco blares from the speakers, urging them on to dance and grind and it’s like nothing Steve has ever seen.

There might be orange and black streamers and fake cobwebs everywhere, but it’s not like one of Tina’s or Vicki’s or even his own parties. It’s fun, though. Thrilling.

Well, it had been fun and thrilling until he’d got separated from Billy in the crush. Billy had told Steve to grab them some drinks, or maybe Billy said _he_ was going to get the drinks—Steve hadn’t been able to hear him over the music—and then a moment later Billy had been swallowed up by the crowd and Steve hasn’t set eyes on him since.

A guy in a satin cape, wearing plastic fangs and not much else, sweeps past Steve, in pursuit of another guy who’s laughing and soon lets himself be cornered, baring his neck for his Dracula. Steve can’t help but smile, his heart beating wildly against his ribs. It’s still so new, to see other guys so _open_ like this, and he needs to find Billy _right now_.

It shouldn’t be that hard—even here where most of the guys actually wearing pants are in skin-tight denim, and there are more leather jackets than Steve has ever seen in one place, he should be able to find Billy because he’s always drawn back to him.

But he can’t and even though this place is awesome, and Steve feels lighter than he has in a long time, panic edges in beneath it. He scans the crowd again, but still can’t find Billy.

Distracted by his search, Steve turns and walks right into a willowy drag queen dressed like a witch.

‘Shit, sorry, I wasn’t looking,’ he says.

‘I’m not usually that easy to miss,’ she says on a laugh, then raises a brow at the way Steve’s gaze darts around. ‘You lose something?’

‘No, I’m just looking for my friend.’ Steve winces, draws in a breath. ‘I mean, my boyfriend.’

‘Ah, the cute ones are always taken,’ she says, and winks at him. ‘Need any help? I’ve got a good vantage point up here.’ She gestures to her steep high heels.

Steve smiles but he says, ‘I’ll be fine. Thank you.’

’Well, I hope you find him soon, or I might cast my spell on you.’

‘Um. Thank you,’ Steve says. ‘I like your costume. It’s very…spooky.’

She laughs and says, ‘Thank you,’ and then, ‘I will leave you to do my bark bidding elsewhere,’ waggling her fingers before she turns and walks away.

Steve presses his lips together and tugs on his shirt. They’d opted not to wear costumes, even though the flier had definitely said it was a costume party. Billy had scoffed and said it would be dorky, but Steve secretly thinks he was maybe a little freaked out at the thought of coming to a gay bar, and had wanted the familiarity of denim and leather. And Steve didn’t want to wear a costume without Billy, though he was surprisingly not freaked out about coming here. Just excited.

He’d had no idea what to expect and, yeah, it’s a lot, and it’s new, with the glitter and the leather and the freedom here. Somehow, everyone is different but the same, and it’s one of the rare times Steve has felt that certain tightness ease inside him. It had happened when he told Robin, and it had happened when he kissed Billy and Billy kissed him back, but so often it’s curled firm behind his ribs.

He wishes Robin were here, too, but she’s at school and even though he has Billy, he _misses_ her, and something twists in his gut.

And then he spots Billy, finally, and lets out a long breath. But a moment later, everything in Steve goes cold, despite the warmth of the bodies around him. Because Steve has been frantically searching for Billy, and Billy is leisurely leaning against the bar, being _hit on_ by some random guy in a cowboy hat and leather vest.

Steve pushes through the crowd with more force, his shirt slicked to his back with sweat by the time he makes it to Billy’s side. He slides an arm around Billy’s waist and says, ‘Hey,’ fixing the other guy with a dark look.

But the guy doesn’t back off—if anything he looks happy—and when Billy casts Steve a glance there’s no guilt there only…relief. Shit. Had this guy been harassing him? It’s a ridiculous thought because it’s Billy, and he’s tough as nails and he doesn’t take anyone’s shit, but Steve is kind of lost. Again.

It’s quieter over here, so Steve hears the guy clearly when he says, ‘You must be the boyfriend!’ eyes lighting up and a grin spreading over his face. ‘I’m Rob.’ He extends a hand, but Steve doesn’t take it.

‘Steve.’ Steve shifts his weight, pulling Billy closer to his side. His heart flutters when Billy leans into it.

‘Oh, honey, you should see your face.’ Rob snorts and waves a hand. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not trying to steal your man.’

Heat crawls into Steve’s face. ‘I didn’t—’

Billy raises a brow at Steve, which says he knows Steve was jealous, and will likely Steve give shit for it later, but is otherwise unusually silent.

‘It’s OK, I’d be jealous, too,’ Rob says, casting a wink in Billy’s direction. ‘But your boy here looked lost and I didn’t want some chickenhawk swooping down on him, so I thought I’d keep him company.’ His moustache twitches. ‘Strictly platonically.’ He carries on, not giving Steve a chance to say anything even if he could think of something to say: ‘You’re both far too young for me, anyway.’

Steve looks closer, sees silver at Rob’s temples, wrinkles around his eyes. He’s still handsome, though, and his biceps fill out the tight plaid shirt he’s wearing beneath his vest. Steve bites his lip and says, ‘Sorry,’ at a loss for anything else.

‘It’s fine,’ Rob says. ‘Billy was telling me you’re new in town?’

It surprises Steve because Billy isn’t usually so open with strangers,but there’s something inviting and warm about Rob, so he says, ‘Yeah, we’ve only been here about a month.’ It had taken Steve a while to get used to the idea of moving—Hawkins had been the only home he’d known and he was hesitant to leave it. But it was all too easy to see they couldn’t stay there and not be torn apart, and so he’d finally agreed. It’s been hard, and he misses home, but it’s been good. Billy’s been different and Steve feels different here, too.

‘I remember what it was like, being new to the big city, new to being out even if it was just at places like this. It can be hard making friends.’ Rob gives them a fond, if slightly sad look. ‘But you boys have got me, now. And I come with a whole troupe of wonderful weirdos who will adore you.’ His gaze goes to somewhere beyond Steve and Billy. ‘And they’re probably waiting for me to bring back the drinks I went to get half an hour ago.’

‘Sorry,’ Steve says.

Rob waves him off. ‘Don’t be. They know me well enough to know how easily distracted I get. You boys are welcome to join us, if you don’t mind hanging around a bunch of geriatrics like me all night.’

‘You’re not old.’

‘You’re sweet. My friends will _love_ you.’

That makes warmth unfurl in Steve and the invitation is appealing, but Billy has been strangely quiet through all of this, and it sits uneasily in Steve, so he says, ‘Uh, maybe we can catch you up?’

’Sure, honey, we’re easy to find. Just look for a bunch of old fairies up past their bedtime.’

Steve huffs out a laugh and says, ‘OK.’

Rob looks between Steve and Billy and says, ‘So fucking adorable,’ before he wanders off, disappearing into the crowd.

Steve blinks, then glances at Billy, who is still silent. He presses his lips together, turning so he’s facing Billy, hand resting on his hip. ‘Everything OK?’ He squeezes Billy’s hip. ‘You’ve been quiet since I found you.’

‘Think I could get a word in edgewise with our new friend, Chatty Cathy?’

‘He was nice.’ Steve looks at Billy for a long moment and adds, ‘But are you OK?’

‘Peachy.’

‘Billy.’

Billy bites his thumbnail, looking around, then back to Steve. ‘It’s just kinda weird.’

Steve’s stomach sinks. ‘Do you want to leave?’

‘No, I mean…’ Billy waves a hand, gesturing to the whole club. ‘They’re all… And we can…’

‘We can what?’

There’s a strange look on Billy’s face, but as his eyes catch on Steve’s, it melts into a smile Steve usually only sees in private. He cups his hands around Steve’s face and kisses him. Not a furtive kiss, but unabashed and hot and joyful.

‘Oh,’ Steve says, when they break apart. He smiles. ‘Yeah.’

‘Yeah.’ Billy bumps his forehead against Steve’s, then he shakes himself and clears his throat, jutting his chin in the direction Robhad gone. ‘What do you think of our new friend?’

‘I think he’s nice.’

Billy rolls his eyes. ‘Of course you do.’ A beat and then, ‘Guess you wanna join them.’

‘Yeah, if you want to,’ Steve says. ‘It’d be cool, right? Get to know some new people.’

‘Anything wrong with the old people you know?’

Steve bites his lip against a smile and says, ‘No, but it’s nice to make new friends. Friends I don’t have to talk to about my _roommate_ or my _buddy,_ or whatever.’

Billy shrugs—‘OK, fine’—but there’s the hint of a smile playing on his lips as he takes hold of Steve’s hand, leading them through the crowd. ‘You know, if you hadn’t got back when you did, I was going to send up a flare, or something.’

‘You miss me that much?’

‘No.’ Billy gives him a shit-eating grin, then says, ‘Rob kept calling me _cute_ and cooing like my fucking grandma. I was two seconds away from telling him to fuck off.’

Steve snorts. ‘You wouldn’t have, you liked him, too.’ And Steve is sure that Billy did.

‘I mean it! I was waiting for him to pinch my cheeks.’

A sly grin tilts Steve’s lips and he reaches out, pinching Billy’s ass.

Billy shoots him a sharp look over his shoulder. ‘Not what I meant.’

Steve winks and shoves lightly at Billy, urging him through the crowd.

They find Rob and his friends at a booth; he introduces everyone to them—including the drag queen Steve had met earlier—and they manage to make room to squeeze two more around the table. Everyone is smiling and laughing and drinking, just being who they are without question.

It’s the reason they moved out here, the reason they came to the party in the first place, and Steve relaxes into the warmth of Billy at his side.

He looks across at Billy, and Billy looks at him. Maybe being here doesn’t feel like coming home, but Steve thinks one day it could.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! :)
> 
> Anyway, this might seem like an odd fic to write from ‘trick or treat’ but I was trying to think of different ways to look at the phrase and somehow went ‘oh, what if Steve thinks some guy is hitting on Billy and gets jealous, but it turns out he just wants to adopt the baby gays’ and then it turned into this XD
> 
> And I’ve wanted to write something where they find (an) older gay mentor(s) foreverrrrrrrrr so that worked and I went with it! 
> 
> You can see some of my other [13 Days of Halloween stuff here](https://gothyringwald.tumblr.com/tagged/13doh) (including the original prompt list) if you want 
> 
> Also, I got distracted and started researching Halloween events in the 1980s. I won't link all my research, but I found [this NY Times article from 1988](https://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/31/us/key-west-journal-homosexuals-unmask-on-night-of-costumes.html) about Halloween in Key West that was a bit about why the queer community might be so attracted to Halloween


End file.
